The non-waiver trading deadline is tomorrow. According to Bruce Miles, the Cubs will be standing pat:

General manager Jim Hendry is back in Chicago and working the phones, but he seems happy with the team as it stands.

Over at the SunTimes, Chris DeLuca suggests that Lou Piniella isn't happy about that:

On Tuesday afternoon -- less than 48 hours before the trade deadline -- Piniella was playing it as close to the vest as he ever has. Asked if he needed anything before the stretch run, he wasn't biting.

''You can talk to Jim Hendry about that,'' Piniella said of the Cubs' general manager, who was back in Chicago. ''That's his area.''

Then came the natural follow-up question after such a brief answer: Do you like your team?

''I've said I like my team,'' he said. ''If you can improve it, why not?''

The look on his face, the rigid body language -- and the fact that he later repeated the comment about improving if you can -- revealed Piniella isn't comfortable standing pat.

DeLuca goes on to talk about how other teams including the Mets, Phillies and Dodgers are pursing additional players (including Manny Ramirez, Raul Ibanez and Brian Roberts).

But, he's going to do it again, isn't he? Jim has always seems to leave his teams one move short. Unlike the Angels, who upgraded from the good Casey Kotchman to the excellent Mark Texiera, Jim is happy to go with a bullpen that includes the ineffective Bob Howry, the blistered Kerry Wood, and the invisible away from the buffet Scott Eyre.

In addition to center field, doesn't this roster just scream for some more experienced bullpen help? Buster Olney can call Jeff Samardzija the Cubs version of K-Rod all he wants. That doesn't make it true. Felix Pie can't be counted on to hit anything in Chicago that doesn't wear a dress. How much longer can this team count on Jim Edmonds to be a contributor on offense? His numbers are sagging along with the arches on his feet.

One of the great things about the Rich Harden trade was that the Cubs gave up close to nothing to get him and Chad Gaudin. So, give up something and solidify this team. If you rely on Kerry Wood to anchor this team's pen, you may get nothing more than a dead weight. If you want to live with Reed Johnson and Edmonds, you can probably survive, but not as well as you could if you add a Roberts and move Mark DeRosa to right and Kosuke Fukudome to center.

Go for it, Jim. All you have to save is your reputation and future job prospects.